What a GREAT WEEKEND! The annual Dino Days Weekend started of with the USAWA Team Championships on Saturday and finished with the Dino Days Record Day on Sunday. The Team Champs started out with a BANG, with 4 teams in attendance. Chad and I lifted together again, Jobes Steel Jungle brought a team of Jesse Jobe and Mac Capello, two other Dino Gym members teamed up – Dean Ross and LaVerne Myers, and for the first time we had a Mixed Pair (male & female) team compete. Doug and Jera Kressly made their USAWA debut, and put up big lifts together.

Jesse and Mac took "bragging rights" in the Team Bent Over Row, as they put up the top lift of the meet at 560 pounds.

Chad and I were able to defend our USAWA Team Title, but had some serious competition from the apes that represented Jobes Steel Jungle. The KING APE Jesse brought a sibling primate along to team up with him, and Mac BABY CHIMP Chapello showed that he has what it takes to someday be the king of the jungle. It was a close comp till the final event, the 12″ base deadlift, when Chad and I “pulled it out”. We took what we needed for the win (1020#), and then took a fourth attempt which was successful with 1100#. That now becomes the top 2-MAN deadlift of all-time in the USAWA, exceeding the effort of Bryan Benzel/Troy Goetsch (a couple other Jungle lifters) set earlier this year.

Doug and Jera Kressly showed "perfect harmony" with each other all day long, as they won the first Mixed Pair Team Title in the history of the USAWA.

I can’t say enough how much I was impressed with Doug and Jera Kressly. I have known both of them for many years (through the Highland Games), and I knew they would also be great All-Round lifters. I sure hope they make it back to a USAWA competition soon. Their Mixed Pair victory makes them the FIRST Mixed Pair team to win the USAWA Team Championships. Hopefully next year, another Mixed Pair team will join in the fun of this competition so Doug and Jera can have some “two-on-two” competition. I was especially impressed with their Team One Arm Clean and Jerk. 160 pounds is a HUGE lift for a 2-Man team, let alone a Mixed Pair team.

LaVerne Myers and Dean Ross and their 380# Fulton Bar Ciavattone Grip Deadlift. These two teamed up quite nicely as they both are physically built very similar.

The Dino Gym’s OLD GEEZERS Dean Ross and LaVerne Myers showed up with one goal in mind, to beat the Mixed Pair team of Doug and Jera. Doug and Jera was leading after the first two events, but then Dean and LaVerne used their strong callused hands in the Fulton Bar Ciavattone Grip Deadlift to go past them. It was a tense moment when Doug and Jera was deadlifing, after the OLD GEEZERS had finished. However, in the end the OLD GEEZERS edged them out (but ONLY because of the 29% age correction they received!). So there are benefits to being a Senior Citizen Weightlifter!!

Al Myers and Chad Ullom and their record-setting team deadlift of 1100 pounds.

I want to thank everyone who attended this meet this year. I especially want to thank Darren Barnhart for showing up just to officiate. Darren is “that guy” in the Dino Gym that I can always count on to show up to help out when he’s not competing, and I hate to think how much I owe him for the contributions he has made over the years.

This is truly one of the “most fun” meets in the USAWA. As I was explaining after the meet to Jesse, the reason I like this meet is because if you don’t do well in a lift – you can always blame it on your team mate. That’s when I noticed the BABY CHIMP nodding his head in agreement…